Rail flaw detecting method and apparatus



Oct. 22, 1940. NA. E. BILL-STEIN RAIL FLAW DETECTING METHOD AND APPARATUS INV EN TOR:

w maar E1? Einstein,

l I l I l l l l IIA,

Filed June 4, 1957 QH n l TTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 22, k1940 'UNITED fslrifrissA RAIL FLAW DETECTING METHOD'AND Y APPARATUS Arthur E. F. Billstein, Altoona, Pa,"assignor to The Pennsylvania 'Railroadompanm Philaf delphia, Pa., a.' corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 4, isszsrm No.14s,343 claims. 1 (ci. 17e-183) 'I'his invention relates to methods of, andv apparatus for detecting hidden flaws such: as cracks, fissures, hollows, etc., internally of track rails and the like. More especially, my inven- 5 tion has reference to flaw detecting methods and apparatus wherein the rail or other object under test is magnetized'for establishment of residual magnetic faces at the regions of tue flaws, and for creation in turn of individual magnetic fields locally of these regions; and wherein a magnet- Ically-sensitiv'e exploring element or detector,

which, upon being moved along' the rail, vis electrically affected by the localized residual magnetic fields, and, which through an amplifier,r

l5 causes the operation of a recorder'or other means capable of registering or indicatingy the impulses received by it. Flaw detection by such method and apparatus is not Wholly dependable, since, during initial magnetization of the rail, magnetic fields are also created in the regions of irregulai-ities or imperfections such as wheel burns, scale, shelly spots, etc., at or near the surface of the rails which irregularities or imperfections are l recorded together vwith the internal flaws and are therefore not distinguishable from the flaw indications.

My invention is directed toward overcoming this drawback: that is 'to say, I aim to prevent the detection andA recording of all but the hidden so imperfections in the rails. This advantage I realize in practice as hereinafter more fully disclosed, by subjectingthe rails, after the initial magnetization thereof and before detection, to a, demagnetizing influence which will penetrate only sufficiently deep to eliminate the residual fields due to the surface imperfections or irregularities, without however 'disturbing the residiial fields at the hidden imperfections, s0 only that the latter will be detected and indicated. 4g Other objects and attendantadvantages will appear from the'following detailed description of the attached drawing, wherein Fig. I is a side view of a detector car conveniently incorporating my invention, y

Fig. II is a diagrammatic view showing the condition of the rail after magnetization with the induced residual magnetic flux fields in the regions of the internal flaws and in the regions of wheel burns and scale at the rail surface.

Fig, III is a similar viewshowing the condition of the rail after elimination, according to my invention, of the magnete flux fields in the regions of the surface irregularities.

The car illustrated in Fig. I of the drawing may be of any suitable design or construction with a. closed body VI ,and flange wheels 2 and 3 adapted to be run on the trackfrails which are to be tested, one oi Ysaidjrails being shown at `4. The'means for magnetizingfthe'rails 'may include', as diagrammatically shown, a pair of elecvi tro-magnetsi and 6 'which are suitably supported in suspension from the car body I respectively forwardly and rearwardly of thel wheels 2, and which have their pole faces I and 8 reaching down close to therail 4. ABy means of conductors 10 9 and I0, the coils II andi 2 of the electro-magnets 5 and 6 are connected'in' parallel with a direct current generator I3 located within the body of thecar. ASuspended from the rear end of the car is a suitable magnetically-sensitive explor- 15 ing unit or detector'V HV, which, through conductors I'SandA I6, is connected .in circuit with anamplifier II` and a recorder I B within the car body I. Duplicatesy of the'magnets 5 and 6 and the detector I4 may of course be employed at 20, the opposite-side-of the cary for testing the other rail (not'shown) of the track. f AWith-the apparatus so -far described, and VWith the car 'travelling' in the direction shown by the arrow, the effect of the electro-magnets 5 and 6 25 is' tc establish, as indicated in Fig. II, residual 'magnetic pole faces in the regions of internal hidden flaws A, as well as in the regions of wheel I burns B and scale spots S at the surface of the rail. 'Ihese magnetic faces in turn create re- 30 sidual flux fields such as conventionally indicated by the `curved dotted arrows at F and F",

in Fig. 1I. Accordingly, as-the detector I4 passes through these localized magnetic flux fields F and F', the wheel burns B and the scale spots S 35 are indicated by the recorder I9 together with the hidden flaws A with consequent confusion of recordings.

In order to prevent the recording of the surface imperfections in the rail, according to my in- 40 vention I have provided means including an additional electro-magnet 20 which may be of the same general construction,y as the magnets 5 and 6 and suspended in a like manner from the car I, but which is excited by alternating current from 45 an alternatingcurrent generator 2| withinthe car I. As shown, the magnet 20 is positioned immediately behind the magnet 6 and ahead of the detector I4 so that it acts upon the rail 4 after the latter has been "magnetized as hereinbefore ex' 50 plained. Due to being alternatin'g'inv its character, the flux produced by the electromagnet El) will penetrate the rail 4 only to a certain depth and neutralize the pole faces previously set up in the regions oi the surface imperfections B and S 55 of the rail and so destroy the uxes dueto said faces without however aiiecting the uxes F in the regions of the internal flaws A. As a result the rail is placed in the condition shown in Fig. III with active ux fields F remaining only at the regions of the hidden imperfections A. It therefore follows that as the detector I4 passes along the rail after the latter has beenl influenced by the alternating current magnet 20, only the hidden aws A will be indicated by the recorder. In practice the depth to which the alternating ilux of the magnet 20 penetrates the rail can be controlled by varying the frequency of the exciting current through changes in the speed of the alternator 2l, or in any other manner within the knowledge of those skilled in the electrical arts` It is of course to be understood that the magnet 20 can be duplicated at the other side of the car when both track rails are to be tested at the same time.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The method of detecting hidden ilaws in track rails and the like which comprises magnetizing the rail to establish residual magnetic faces and in turn create individual magnetic iiux elds locally around the flaws within the rail; then destroying any residual flux incidentally set up locally at the regions of the surface irregularities such as wheel burns, shelly spots, etc., in the rail; and finally detecting the individual mag netic fluxes set up around them as aforesaid.

2. The method of detecting hidden iiaws in track rails and Vthe like which comprises magnetizing the rail to establish residual magnetic faces and in turn create individual magnetic iiux iields locally around the flaws;` then destroying any residual iix fields incidentally set up locally in the regions of surface irregularities such as wheel burns, shelly spots, etc., in the rail by subjecting the latter to an alternating magnetic iiux which penetrates only to a predeterminable depth; and nally detecting the individual magnetic fluxes set up around themas aforesaid.

3. Apparatus for detecting hidden aws in track rails and the like comprising means for magnetizing the rail to establish residual magnetic races in the regions of the flaws with creation of individual localized magnetic iiux elds at these regions; means for subsequently destroying any residual magnetic iiux fields created inthe regions of surface irregularities such as Wheel burns, scale, shelly spots, etc., in the rail; and magnetically-sensitive detector means adapted to be passed along the rail for action thereupon by the flux around the flaws.

4. Apparatus for detecting hidden flaws in track rails or the like comprising means for magnetizing the rail to establish residual magnetic faces in the regions of the flaws with creation of individual local magnetic flux elds at these regions; means adaptedto be passed along the rail thereafter and producing an alternating flux to destroy any residual magnetic flux fields initially created in the regions of surface irregularities such as wheel burns, scale, shelly spots, etc., in the rail; and magnetically sensitive detector means adapted to be finally passed along the rail for action thereupon by the ux around the flaws.

5. Apparatus for detecting hidden aws in track rails or the like comprising a direct current excited electro-magnet adapted to be passed along the rail to magnetize it for establishment of residual magnetic faces in the regions of the ilaws with creation of individual local magnetic flux fields at these regions; an alternating currentexcited electro-magnet adapted to be next passed along the rail to destroy any residual magnetic iiux fields initially created at the regions of surface irregularities such as wheel burns, scale, shelly spots, ete., on the rail; and a magneticallysensitive detector means adapted to be finally passed along the rail for action thereupon by the flux around the flaws.

ARTHUR E. F. BILLSTEIN. 

